General Chat

Hi Bridget,

No I am NOT saying that anyone who contributed to a state pension shouldn't receive it. I am referring to this 'bonus' (that's a joke).


I lived in Madrid for 2 years so am quite aware of seasonal changes. Until we moved in February we relied on bottled gas for heating as we could easily spend £87.00 every 2 weeks. The Winters here are longer and deeper, Heating on end September and off end of April as a rule of thumb.

If we chose to go live in the EU (not that we would) I wouldn't expect anything other than our State Pension to follow us.

We pay for private medical insurance here and would expect to do the same in any other country.

I wouldn't expect the UK taxpayers to fund this particular benefit to ex-pats or pensioners in the UK who don't need it.

I'd rather see the basic State pension increased and have no need for any pensioner to go 'cap in hand' to the benefits agency. Many don't because theey are too proud and suffer in silence.

Sue

I think the purpose of this thread was not to say people living in europe should not get the fuel allowance, but rather to show concern that if they decide on a temperature cut off for the allowance, some people in UK won't get it while others not in uk will.

edit: Sorry Sue, we crossed postings.

Thank you Ann :-D

but I do disagree with it in principle..lolol

One thing that seems to be forgotten is that it is the current working generation that is paying via tax for the current pensioners. It always has been the case. It doesn’t matter how much you paid in tax – your payments were (partially) going to support your parent’s generation when they became OAP, not paying in for yourselves.

The proposals as they stand would probably be too costly to implement – what may be cold weather for one person who resides in the south, could be positively barmy to someone who lives further north.

An alternative would be for it to only be available when someone starts to draw their State OAP. After all, if you are out working most of the day, why should the Government/Tax payer pay to heat your empty house?

Yes, I agree that Child Benefit should not be paid to Ex-pat children, or children of EU citizens who (the children) do not live in the UK.

Free subscriptions should also rise in line with the delay in female State Pension age. Currently anyone 60 or over is entitled to free medication on prescription. Why should anyone who is not of Pensionable age and either working or claiming other job related benefits be automatically entitled to that?

"It means around 440,000 expat pensioners get the payment - at a cost of £100 million."

just to point out that is it not £200 per person

if there is more than 1 qualifying people in the household the maximum payment per person is £100

so a single person in a house gets has much as a 2 people home where both have possibly both paid taxes etc over the years

Yes, the heating allowance is for the house not for the person/people.

The Conservatives HATE this allowance & have already reduced it by £50 from every household claimant since they came into power!!
Just don't know why David Cameron & his cronies don't just take the whole thing away in one fell swoop & have done with it??

Remember the 3 way debate on tv when the 3 main parties were battling to win the election & DC constantly refuted G Browns claims that the Cons would get rid of the Winter Fuel allowance AND increase the vat?
DC repeatly saying "they had NO plans to get rid of the WFA or increase VAT" Aye right..............& the band played believe it I you like!!!!!!!

Unfortunately us oldies are now living too long! & DC needs to find some way to kill us off,sooner rather than later, being cold is one sure way of him succeeding.

Joan.

Marion,
Thank you for your reply. I have just added to it!

I always try to add to items you write as we seem to have a similar thought process.

Hope you are well, I am back, more or less to my normal self.

Bridget :-)

It won't affect UK pensioners. The 'temprature test' is only for ex pats.

:-D

...or so IDS said on the news on Radio 4 at 6pm!

Thanks Maggie for the update

Sue

I think that ALL ladies over 60 should get fee travel, to anywhere in the world, free cars, unlimited petrol, free heating/water/gas/electricity, and a spa fitted in there garden, free meals, and be taken out daily to wherever they desire to go, and they should be also be given 700 quid a week, to spend as they please.

Why? BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT..... :-D

I have no personal interest in this scheme, as I am only 32, but like to make sure my elders are comfortable in life :-)

~Lynda~ for Prime Minister, LOL

Joan.

Thanks for the vote Amokavid, Actually I'd love to live at number 10 it's so central, and so me :-D

*chokes at the 32*

:-P :-P :-P

Sorry Sue, I'll be 32 NEXT birthday, still only 31 at the moment, thanks for pulling me up on that ;-)

To be perfectly honest.....If I lived abroad I would not expect to draw a pension of any kind from the UK.....Now here is the perfectly honest part.........If
they want to give it to me I will take it....as a perk........hands up anyone who would say......No.....I do not want it.....tis human nature I am afraid......It may not be right in some eyes.....but if the UK government want to give it away ..........what more can I say! :-D

PS......Lynda for char Lady at number Ten :-D

I have just come across this thread and agree 100% with everything that Wisechild has said. I object to the suggestions that ex pats have ' turned their backs on the UK' . I and many others still have interests in the UK and still pay taxes there. I worked in England for about 40 years and paid everything required of me. I then married someone who lived and worked here, paying his taxes to the Spanish government. In the winter here I have an electric blanket, a log burning fire which is very expensive to feed and electric heating. I also have to pay for air conditioning in summer if it is very hot. I do not have a bus pass or any of the extras that I would qualify for had I not 'turned my back on the UK'

I pay 10% of any prescribed medicines and I pay for eye tests, both free in the UK. For those who think that ex pats should not qualify for the same benefits as non ex pats can I ask them if they would agree that all EU countries should come in line which would also mean that what we DON'T get neither would you and what we pay for so would you. In this situation I think that you would be worse off over all.

Not sure what I am getting into here Tenerife......But I for one do not agree with being in the EU.....so perhaps that part of the debate is not relevant to anything as far as I am concerned :-)

Hi Susan with numbers, I totally respect your opinions but the fact remains that we are, at the moment, in the EU and therefore I feel that all UK citizens should be treated the same regardless of where they choose to live.